Twelve hours might not seem like a long time in the grand scale of things, it can fly by when you’re having fun. But when it’s flying by at 40,000 feet, things start to grind to a halt. Get stuck in the middle seats with your knees resting almost by your ears and suddenly twelve hours seems a million miles away (or 5,000).

After trawling through the in-flight entertainment and taking advantage of the free gin, I started to wonder if there was anything more productive I could be doing with my dozen hours…

Watch all the extended versions of the Lord of the Rings films with just enough time to make some popcorn.

Cook about 102 perfectly boiled eggs.

According to my WPM, write 57,600 words.

Earn £72.96 on minimum wage.

Listen to Echoes by Pink Floyd 31 times.

Spend $12,000 on the most expensive attorney in the world.

But despite the numb bums, screaming children and far-too-cheerful air stewards, the time all disappears when the wheels hit tarmac and you know it’s the start of something exciting.